Kiddushin 46

לר' שמעון בן אלעזר עבד כנעני מהו שיעשה שליח לקבל גיטו מיד רבו כיון דגמר לה לה מאשה כאשה

According to R'Simeon B'Eleazar,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who maintains that a slave cannot receive his own deed.');">¹</span> can a heathen slave appoint an agent to receive his deed of emancipation from his master:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosaf. gives two interpretations: (i) Obviously, as stated above, another person must accept it on his behalf. This, however, may be only if the slave does not explicitly appoint him his agent, but if he does, he becomes legally as himself, and just as he himself cannot accept the deed, his agent cannot either. (ii) When another person accepts it on his behalf, must he be his agent, just as the person who accepts a woman's divorce on her behalf must be distinctly appointed by her for that purpose? If so, on the view that it is to the slave's advantage to be freed, the agency is tacitly assumed: while if we hold that it is to his disadvantage, he must be expressly appointed. Or possibly, he does not act in the character of an agent at all, since the slave himself could not have accepted it. In that case, not only is an express appointment unnecessary, but even if the slave actually protests against it, his protest is unavailing.');">²</span>

או דילמא אשה דאיהי מצי מקבלת גיטה שליח נמי מצי משויא עבד דאיהו לא מקבל גיטיה שליח נמי לא מצי משוי בתר דבעיא הדר פשטא לה לה מאשה כאשה

since he deduces 'lah', 'lah', from a [married] woman, he [the slave] is as a married woman:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And just as she can appoint an agent, so can he (or, so must he - v. preceding note) .');">³</span> or perhaps, a woman, who can accept the divorce herself, can also appoint an agent; whereas a slave, who cannot accept his deed of emancipation himself, cannot<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or, need not.');">⁴</span>

ואלא הא דאמר רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע הני כהני שלוחי דרחמנא נינהו דאי סלקא דעתך שלוחי דידן נינהו מי איכא מידי דאנן לא מצינן עבדינן ואינהו מצי עבדי

appoint an agent either! After propounding, he solved it himself: We deduce 'lah', 'lah', from a [married] woman, [hence] he is as a married woman. If so, when R'Huna son of R'Joshua said: These priests are agents of the All-Merciful One, for should you think they are ours, is there aught which we ourselves may not do while they may do [it on our behalf]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Ned. 35b. The question is: When a priest offers a sacrifice on behalf of an Israelite, does he act as his agent or as God's? The practical difference is where an Israelite vows to derive no benefit from a certain priest: on the first alternative, the priest may not offer his sacrifices for him; on the second, he may.');">⁵</span>

ולא והא עבדא דאיהו לא מצי מקבל גיטיה ושליח מצי משוי

- is there not? What of a slave, who cannot accept his deed of manumission himself, can yet appoint an agent? - But that [analogy] is fallacious: an Israelite has no connection with the laws of sacrifices at all;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He cannot offer a sacrifice for himself or for another Israelite.');">⁶</span>

ולא היא ישראל לא שייכי בתורת קרבנות כלל עבד שייך בגיטין דתניא נראין הדברים שהעבד מקבל גיטו של חבירו מיד רבו של חבירו אבל לא מיד רבו שלו:

whereas a slave has a connection with deeds of manumission. For it was taught: It appears correct that a slave can accept his companion's deed from his companion's master, but not from his own.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the first case the deed leaves the master's possession, but not in the second.');">⁷</span>

ובלבד שיהא הכסף משל אחרים: נימא בהא קמיפלגי דר' מאיר סבר אין קנין לעבד בלא רבו ואין קנין לאשה בלא בעלה ורבנן סברי יש קנין לעבד בלא רבו ויש קנין לאשה בלא בעלה

PROVIDING THAT THE MONEY IS FURNISHED BY OTHERS. Shall we say that they differ in this: R'Meir holds, A slave has no powers of acquisition distinct from his master, nor a wife distinct from her husband; whereas the Rabbis maintain, A slave can acquire independently of his master and a wife of her husband? - Said Rabbah in R'Shesheth's name: All hold that a slave cannot acquire independently of his master, nor a wife of her husband.

אמר רבה אמר רב ששת דכולי עלמא אין קנין לעבד בלא רבו ואין קנין לאשה בלא בעלה והכא במאי עסקינן דאקני ליה אחר מנה ואמר ליה על מנת שאין לרבך רשות בו

But the circumstances are here that a stranger gave him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'caused him to acquire'.');">⁸</span> a maneh, saying, 'On condition that your master has no right to it.'

ר' מאיר סבר כי אמר ליה קני קני עבד וקני רביה וכי אמר ליה על מנת לא כלום קאמר ליה ורבנן סברי כיון דאמר ליה על מנת אהני ליה תנאיה

R'Meir maintains, When he says to him, 'Acquire [it,]' the slave acquires it and [ipso facto] his master; and when he says to him, 'on condition [etc.],' he says nothing.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the stipulation is invalid.');">⁹</span> Whereas the Rabbis hold, Since he stipulates, 'on condition,' the stipulation is effective.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence he can be liberated by money through his own agency.');">¹⁰</span>

ור' אלעזר אמר כל כי האי גוונא דכולי עלמא לא פליגי דקני עבד וקני רביה והכא במאי עסקינן כגון דאקני ליה אחר מנה ואמר ליה על מנת שתצא בו לחירות

But R'Eleazar said: In such a case all agree that the slave acquires it and [ipso facto] his master. But the circumstances are here that a stranger gave him a maneh, saying: 'On condition that you obtain your freedom therewith.'

ר"מ סבר כי אמר ליה קני קני עבד וקני רביה וכי אמר ליה על מנת לא כלום קאמר ליה ורבנן סברי לדידיה נמי הא לא קא מקני ליה דהא לא אמר ליה אלא על מנת שתצא בו לחירות

R'Meir holds that when he says to him, 'Acquire [it],' the slave acquires it and [ipso facto] his master; when he says: 'on condition,' he says nothing. Whereas the Rabbis maintain, He did not give possession of it [even] to him [the slave], since he said to him, 'Only on condition that you gain your freedom therewith.'

ורמי דרבי מאיר אדרבי מאיר ורמי דרבנן אדרבנן דתניא

Now, R'Meir is self contradictory, and the Rabbis likewise. For it was taught: